Overview
- Commissioners tabled a resolution that would have signaled intent to issue up to $1.4 billion in conduit bonds for a multi-decade Country Club Plaza redevelopment.
- The proposed framework would enable property and sales tax exemptions tied to phased bond issuances, with payments in lieu of taxes outlined to start at current property tax levels and escalate over time.
- Kansas City Public Schools Superintendent Dr. Jennifer Collier opposed the property tax exemption, and the public library’s director criticized the process as lacking transparency and adequate updates.
- Plan documents describe a roughly 24-acre, 19-block, 15-year buildout with about 1.7 million square feet of commercial and retail space, around 750 homes, approximately 278 hotel rooms, and major infrastructure upgrades.
- More than 100 people attended the virtual meeting, which was briefly hijacked by hackers; the Planning Commission has approved the master plan, City Council approval is still required, and a recent Lockton headquarters move to Leawood heightens competitive pressure.